Hammer flange mounting structure for use in piano

ABSTRACT

A hammer flange having a hammer shank rotatably attached to one end thereof is mounted on the cut-out portion of a flange rail. A plate spring fixed to the flange rail is extended over the hammer flange and is biased toward the hammer flange, the plate spring having a threaded hole at that part thereof facing the hammer flange. A screw means is screwed into the hole, exerting a pressure on the hammer flange under the biasing force of the spring, so that the hammer flange is securedly mounted on the flange rail.

United States Patent Tachida [5'4] HAMMER FLANGE MOUNTING STRUCTURE FORUSE IN PIANO [72] Inventor: Hiroki Tachida, Hamamatsu, Japan [73]Assignee; Nippon Gakki Seizo Kabushiki Kaisha, l-lamamatsu-shi, Japan 22Filed: May a, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 139,676

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 8, 1970 Japan ..45/44606 [52]US. Cl. ..84/251 [51] Int. Cl. ..G10c 3/18 [58] Field of Search..84/236-237, 239,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS A 1/1971 Klaiber ..s4/2s11451 Oct. 10,1972

831,176 9/1906 McCall ..84/252 Primary Examiner-Richard B. WilkinsonAssistant Examiner-Lawrence R. Franklin Attorney-Flynn & Frishauf [57]ABSTRACT A hammer flange having a hammer shank rotatably attached to oneend thereof is mounted on the cut-out portion of a flange rail. A platespring fixed to the flange rail is extended over the hammer flange andis biased toward the hammer flange, the plate spring having a threadedhole at that part thereof facing the hammer flange. A screw means isscrewed into the hole, exerting a pressure on the hammer flange underthe biasing force of the spring, so that the hammer flange is securedlymounted on the flange rail.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEUBOI 10 I972 FIG.

FIG. 2

HAMMER FLANGE MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR USE IN PIANO BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to a piano action, and moreparticularly to a hammer flange mounting structure, especially for usein a grand piano.

The hammer flange mounting structure of a grand piano generally consistsof a hammer flange rail having a cut-out portion formed in the uppersurface and a large number of hammer flanges fitted to the cut-outportion so that they are arranged in parallel with each other andcorrespond to the keys of piano. The fitting of the hammer flange to thehammer flange rail has heretofore been effected by passing a screwthrough the holes bored in the flange and rail from the former to thelatter for secure attachment to each other.

It is essential for a piano action that each hammer strikes thecorresponding string correctly and evenly. For this purpose, the hammerflange having a rotatable hammer shank must be mounted on a correctposition of the flange rail, and it is also required to precisely adjustthe relative positions of the hammer flange and flange rail and tocorrect the lateral inclination of the hammer flange relative to theflange rail. Such adjustment and correction have usually been carriedout by pasting a sheet of sized paper at the prescribed part of theunderside of the hammer flange contacting the hammer flange 'rail.

With the aforementioned conventional hammer flange mounting structure,the adjustment is performed, while observing the direction in which thehammer runs and the condition under which the hammer strikes the string,by drawing out a screw joining the rail and flange for theirdisengagement, pasting a sheet of sized paper on the desired part of thesurface of the hammer flange, and joining both members again in theoriginal condition.

As described above, the adjustment between the hammer flange and flangerail in the prior art action assembly requires a great deal oftime-consuming work, for example, the removal and tightening of a screw.Repeated work of adjustment causes the joint between the rail and flangegradually to cease to be as firm as at the initial stage, resulting inthe erroneous operation of the action assembly as a whole. Further, theprior art hammer flanges are mechanically weak because of theperforation of the screw holes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION:

It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide a hammer flangemounting structure enabling hammer flanges to be firmly fitted to ahammer flange rail and both members to be separated and joined withgreat ease in adjusting the relative positions thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hammer flange mountingstructure eliminating the necessity of forming screw holes in the hammerflanges and in consequence protecting the flanges from beingmechanically weakened.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a pianoaction mechanism provided with a hammer flange mounting structureaccording to this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the hammer flangemounting structure of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a hammer flange included in the hammer .flangemounting structure as taken from below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIG. 1, there are providedbrackets, one of which is indicated at 11. To the rear ends of thebrackets is connected a supporting rail 12, and to the forward endsthereof an elongated hammer flange rail 13 of metal. A plurality ofwippen assemblies, one of which is indicated in FIG. 1, are disposed onthe supporting rail 12. Each of the wippen assemblies includes a wippen14 pivoted on the rail 12, a repetition lever 15 rotatable on the wippenand a jack 16 also rotatable on the wippen. Hammer shanks 17 arerespectively arranged above the wippen assemblies. The forward ends ofthe hammer shanks 17 are rotatably mounted on hammer flanges 18respectively, and hammers 19 are connected to the rear ends of theshanks 17. To the hammer flange rail 13 is fixed by screws 20 aregulating wooden rail 21 having a plurality of regulating buttons 22.

There will now be described by reference to FIGS. 1 through 3 a hammerflange mounting structure according to this invention which firmlycouples hammer flanges to a metal hammer flange rail. In that part ofthe upper surface of the rail 13 which faces a string (not shown) isformed a cut-out portion 23, onto which there is mounted the base end ofeach hammer flange 18. On the bottom of the cut-out portion 23 is formedan elongated projection 24 running along the lengthwise direction of theflange rail 13, and on the end wall thereof a recess 25. Further, in theun-derside of the base end of the hammer flange 18 is formed a notch 26extending laterally thereof so as to engage the projection 24. To theupper surface of the hammer flange rail 13 is attached one end of aresilient plate member 28 such as a plate spring made of, for example,steel by proper means (in this invention by screws 20 supporting theregulating wooden rail 21). The member 28 is divided by slits 29 into aplurality of separate plate spring pieces 30. Each separate piece 30 ofthe resilient member 28 extends over the cut-out portion 23 and isbiased downward, that is, toward the hammer flange, by the resilientforce thereof. The separate pieces 30 face the corresponding hammerflanges 18 disposed below. The separate resilient piece 30 has aslightly raised portion formed at the center, through which there isbored a threaded hole 31. Into the hole 31 is inserted an adjustingscrew 32, the bottom end of which abuts on a contact plate 33, therebycausing the contact plate 33 to press the hammer flange l8 downward whenthe screw 32 is tightened. The force with which the contact strip 33presses the hammer flange 18 is provided by the biasing force of theplate spring 30.

The fixing of the hammer flange 18 to the hammer flange rail 13 iscarried out by placing the base end of the flange 18 on the cut-outportion 23 of the hammer flange rail 13 so as to cause the notch 26 ofthe base end to engage the projection 24 formed on the bottom of theportion 23 and thereafter by tightening the adjusting screw 32 securelyto attach the flange 18 to the rail 13 under the downwardly biasingforce of the resilient piece 30.

Adjustment of the relative positions of the hammer flange and flangerail and correction of the lateral inclination of the flange areperformed as follows. The adjusting screw 32 is loosened and the forwardend of the plate spring 28 is pushed up by a tool like a driver todisengage the hammer flange 18 from the rail 13. On the right or leftportion 35 or 34 of the bottom side of the hammer flange 18 is pasted asheet of sized paper with a suitable thickness. The flange 18 is againplaced between the plate spring 30 and cut-out portion 23 so as to besecured in place.

As mentioned above, the hammer flange mounting structure of thisinvention permits easy adjustment of the relative positions of thehammer flange and flange rail and correction of the lateral inclinationof the flange. Since the hammer flange and hammer flange rail need notbe perforated with fitting bores as in the prior art device, bothmembers can be easily manufactured with no possibility of beingmechanically weakened.

What I claim is: 1. A hammer flange mounting structure for use in apiano comprising:

a hammer flange rail (13) having a cut-out portion hammer flanges (18)placed on said cut-out portion (23) and each carrying at one end ahammer shank (l7) pivotally mounted thereon,

resilient means (30) attached to said hammer flange rail (13) andextending over respective hammer flanges (18), each of said resilientmeans (30) having a threaded hole (31) therein and exerting a biasingforce toward the corresponding hammer flange, and

screw means (32), each being screwed in respective threaded holes (31)and pressing the corresponding hammer flange (18) toward said flangerail (13) under the biasing force of said resilient means (30) to securesaid hammer flanges to said hammer flange rail.

2. The structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said resilient meansinclude plate springs.

3. The structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said resilient meanscomprises an elongated plate member divided by slits into a plurality ofseparate plate spring strips.

4. The structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein said elongated platemember is fixed to said hammer flange rail by means of screws forattaching a regulating rail to said hammer flange rail.

5. The structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said hammer flange railhas an elongated projection formed on said cut-out portion, saidprojection running along the lengthwise direction of said flange rail,and said hammer flange has a notch extending laterally thereof, saidnotch being engaged in said projection.

6. The structure as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a contactplate member interposed between each of said screw means and each ofsaid hammer flanges.

1. A hammer flange mounting structure for use in a piano comprising: ahammer flange rail (13) having a cut-out portion (23), hammer flanges(18) placed on said cut-out portion (23) and each carrying at one end ahammer shank (17) pivotally mounted thereon, resilient means (30)attached to said hammer flange rail (13) and extending over respectivehammer flanges (18), each of said resilient means (30) having a threadedhole (31) therein and exerting a biasing force toward the correspondinghammer flange, and screw means (32), each being screwed in respectivethreaded holes (31) and pressing the corresponding hammer flange (18)toward said flange rail (13) under the biasing force of said resilientmeans (30) to secure said hammer flanges to said hammer flange rail. 2.The structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein said resilient means includeplate springs.
 3. The structure as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidresilient means comprises an elongated plate member divided by slitsinto a plurality of separate plate spring strips.
 4. The structure asclaimed in claim 3 wherein said elongated plate member is fixed to saidhammer flange rail by means of screws for attaching a regulating rail tosaid hammer flange rail.
 5. The structure as claimed in claim 1 whereinsaid hammer flange rail has an elongated projection formed on saidcut-out portion, said projection running along the lengthwise directionof said flange rail, and said hammer flange has a notch extendinglaterally thereof, said notch being engaged in said projection.
 6. Thestructure as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a contact platemember interposed between each of said screw means and each of saidhammer flanges.